DGAP-News: SinnerSchrader AG / Key word(s): 9-month figures/Change in Forecast SINNERSCHRADER ACHIEVES GROWTH ON AN ADJUSTED BASIS OF MORE THAN 24 % IN THE THIRD QUARTER / POSITIVE EARNINGS DEVELOPMENT, YET BELOW PLAN / EBITA FORECAST REVISED SLIGHTLY DOWNWARDS 15.07.2016 / 08:04 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the third quarter of 2015/2016 (1 March to 31 May 2016) SinnerSchrader achieved quarterly revenue of 13.4 million euros. This was 18.1 per cent more than had been achieved in the third quarter of the previous year. Without taking account of the NEXT AUDIENCE business from which SinnerSchrader has withdrawn, the growth rated reached 24.5 per cent. The revenue growth lead to a considerable improvement of the operating results. The EBITA reached 1.4 million euros in the quarter under review or 10.5 per cent of revenue thus exceeding the previous year's figure by 0.6 million euros. In the first nine months of the financial year SinnerSchrader achieved sales revenue in the amount of 38.2 million euros. Sales over the nine months period came in 11.3 per cent and, on a basis adjusted for the withdrawal from NEXT AUDIENCE, 17.5 per cent higher than in the previous year, respectively. The pleasing fact that SinnerSchrader has successfully asserted itself in an international selection process to become worldwide digital lead agency for the car manufacturer Audi has not yet had an impact on the revenue in the reporting period. From this revenue SinnerSchrader generated EBITA of 2.75 million euros over the nine-month period. The comparative figure of the previous year amounted to 0.9 million euros. The positive development in operating results was also reflected in net results of the Group. Coming from 0.4 million euros in the previous year, SinnerSchrader improved its bottom line to 1.9 million euros in the nine-month period. This result corresponds to earnings per share just short of 0.17 euros. Despite the considerable improvement compared to the previous year, the earnings figures of the third quarter as well as of the first nine months of 2015/2016 fell short of the plans. The fact that SinnerSchrader was not able to meet its margin forecast was not the least due to an ever tighter personnel market which made SinnerSchrader miss its staffing plans and in turn higher levels of freelancer engagements unavoidable. In addition, margin problems in three agile projects and utilisation compromises due to a prolonged Audi pitch process lead to missed margin forecast. SinnerSchrader does not expect that the margin situation will improve in the fourth quarter of 2015/2016. As recently announced, SinnerSchrader, therefore, forecasts EBITA for the year to come in weaker as originally planned at approximately 4.5 million euros while revenue should meet the plan of 50.5 million euros. Liquid funds amounted to 2.6 million euros as at 31 May 2016, thus, significantly lower than the liquid funds as at 31 August 2015. While the operative cash flow was as weak as in the previous year the dividend payout and the share buy-back programme at 1.4 million euros and 1.1 million euros, respectively, lead to the reduction in liquid funds in the first nine months of 2015/2016. The equity ratio reached 59.7 per cent as at 31 May 2016, an increase of 5.8 percentage points over the status on 31 August 2015. SinnerSchrader had 494 employees as at 31 May 2016. The full report of the SinnerSchrader Group for the third quarter and the first nine months of the 2015/2016 financial year can be found at http:// www.sinnerschrader.ag/en/reports as of 2 p.m. CET today. ABOUT SINNERSCHRADER SinnerSchrader is one of Europe's leading digital agencies with a focus on transformational products and services for the digital age. Around 500 employees - almost 200 of whom are developers - work for international companies such as Allianz, comdirect, Leica, McDonalds, Telefónica, TUI, unitymedia, and Volkswagen. SinnerSchrader was founded in 1996, went public in 1999 and has offices in Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt am Main, Munich, Prague and Hanover. http://sinnerschrader.com PRESS CONTACT Carmen Fesenbeck Corporate Communications [email protected] INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT Thomas Dyckhoff CFO [email protected] SinnerSchrader Aktiengesellschaft Völckersstraße 38 22765 Hamburg T. +49. 40. 39 88 55-0 F. +49. 40. 39 88 55-55 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15.07.2016 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.dgap.de --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Language: English Company: SinnerSchrader AG Völckersstraße 38 22765 Hamburg Germany Phone: +49 (0)40 39 88 55-0 Fax: +49 (0)40 39 88 55-55 E-mail: [email protected] Internet: www.sinnerschrader.com ISIN: DE0005141907 WKN: 514190 Listed: Regulated Market in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart End of News DGAP News Service --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 482669 15.07.2016